Colic affects up to 1 in 4 newborns, but several feeding, environmental, and dietary strategies can reduce your baby’s risk or ease symptoms once they start. Colic is formally defined by the “rule of three”: crying more than three hours per day, more than three days per week, for longer than three weeks. It peaks around 6 weeks of age and typically resolves by 3 months, with most cases gone by 6 months. While you can’t guarantee prevention, the steps below target the most common triggers.
Reduce Swallowed Air During Feeds
One of the most actionable things you can do is change how your baby takes in milk. Babies who gulp air during feeding end up with painful gas bubbles that can trigger prolonged crying. If you’re bottle feeding, use a nipple with a wide base and a slow flow rate. A full feeding should take roughly 15 to 30 minutes. If your baby finishes much faster than that, the flow is too fast, and they’re likely swallowing excess air along with the milk.
Hold the bottle nearly horizontal rather than tipping it straight down. You want just the tip of the nipple filled with milk, not the entire nipple flooded. It’s fine if there’s a small air pocket at the base of the nipple. This “paced” approach lets the baby control the flow, mimicking the natural rhythm of breastfeeding and reducing the amount of air they take in.
For breastfed babies, a deep latch is the equivalent strategy. If you hear clicking or smacking sounds during feeding, or your baby seems to slip off the nipple frequently, they may be breaking the seal and swallowing air. A lactation consultant can help correct positioning if latching feels difficult.
Burp Effectively, Not Obsessively
Burping helps release trapped air, but you don’t need to spend ten minutes patting your baby’s back after every feed. A couple of minutes is enough. The key is positioning: keep your baby’s tummy and back straight (not curled up), support their head and neck, and gently rub or pat their back. You can hold them upright against your shoulder or sit them on your lap with your hand supporting their chin.
Watch your baby’s cues rather than following a rigid schedule. Some babies need a break to burp mid-feed, while others are fine waiting until the end. If your baby seems uncomfortable or squirmy during a bottle, pause and try to get a burp out before continuing. If they’re feeding happily, let them finish first.
Try a Maternal Elimination Diet
If you’re breastfeeding, proteins from certain foods in your diet can pass through breast milk and irritate your baby’s digestive system. A randomized trial published in Pediatrics tested a low-allergen diet where breastfeeding mothers cut out cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, and fish. After about a week, 74% of babies in the elimination group showed significant improvement, compared to only 37% whose mothers made no dietary changes.
You don’t necessarily need to eliminate all seven food groups at once. Cow’s milk protein is the most common culprit, so starting there makes sense. Remove dairy from your diet for at least one to two weeks and watch for changes in your baby’s fussiness. If that doesn’t help, you can try removing additional allergens one at a time. If you do see improvement, you can reintroduce foods individually later to pinpoint the specific trigger.
Consider Probiotics for Breastfed Babies
A specific strain of beneficial bacteria (sold under brands like BioGaia) has shown strong results for breastfed infants with colic. In pooled clinical data, breastfed babies given this probiotic were two to three times more likely to see their crying cut in half compared to babies given a placebo. At 21 days, the probiotic group cried an average of 25 minutes less per day, and only 3 babies needed to be treated for 1 to experience meaningful relief.
The evidence is strongest for breastfed infants. Results in formula-fed babies have been less consistent. Probiotic drops are available over the counter in most pharmacies, but it’s worth confirming the right product and dose with your pediatrician, since not all probiotic strains have the same evidence behind them.
Manage Overstimulation
Colic episodes tend to cluster in the late afternoon and evening, which is also when babies are most likely to be overstimulated from a full day of new sights, sounds, and handling. Reducing sensory input during these peak hours can help prevent or shorten crying bouts.
Dim the lights in your home as the afternoon progresses. Limit visitors and loud activities during the window when your baby typically gets fussy. Consistent white noise, like a fan, a dedicated sound machine, or even a clothes dryer running in the next room, can mask unpredictable environmental sounds and provide a steady, calming backdrop. Swaddling in a large, thin blanket helps many babies feel secure and reduces the startle reflex that can restart a crying cycle.
When your baby is already upset, gentle rhythmic motion works well. Walk with them in a baby carrier so they feel your body warmth and heartbeat. Rocking, swaying, or even a car ride can help. Laying your baby tummy-down across your knees and gently rubbing their back puts light pressure on their belly, which seems to ease gas-related discomfort.
Avoid Smoke Exposure
Nicotine exposure, both during pregnancy and after birth, is a meaningful colic risk factor. Research presented in Neurology found that babies exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb had a 30% higher risk of developing colic. Nicotine replacement products like patches and gum during pregnancy carried an even higher risk, at roughly 60%. The mechanism likely involves nicotine’s effects on the developing nervous system and gut motility. If you or anyone in your household smokes, keeping the baby’s environment smoke-free is one of the simplest preventive steps available.
Adjust Formula if Needed
For formula-fed babies who develop colic symptoms, switching formulas is a common next step. Partially hydrolyzed formulas, where the milk proteins are broken into smaller pieces, may be easier on a sensitive digestive system. Some formulas also reduce lactose content, which can help if your baby has difficulty digesting milk sugar. The evidence on formula switching is mixed, however, and not every colicky baby improves with a new formula. Give any switch at least a week or two before deciding whether it’s helping. Your pediatrician can guide you toward the most appropriate option based on your baby’s specific symptoms.
What Colic Recovery Looks Like
Even with every prevention strategy in place, some babies still develop colic. The reassuring reality is that it resolves on its own. Most babies are past the worst by 3 months of age, and nearly all cases are gone by 6 months. There’s no lasting developmental harm from colic itself, though the weeks of intense crying are genuinely exhausting for parents.
During peak colic weeks, taking turns with a partner, family member, or friend is critical for your own well-being. If you feel overwhelmed by the crying, putting your baby down in a safe place like their crib and stepping away for a few minutes is a completely reasonable response. The crying will not hurt them, but shaking a baby in frustration can cause serious injury. Building in breaks for yourself isn’t optional during this period.